Song to a Seagull
| Song to a Seagull | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Joni Seagull.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by Joni Mitchell | ||||
| Released | March 1968 | |||
| Recorded | Late 1967 | |||
| Genre | Folk[1][2] | |||
| Length | 38:00 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producer | David Crosby | |||
| Joni Mitchell chronology | ||||
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Song to a Seagull (also known as Joni Mitchell) is Joni Mitchell's debut album. Produced by David Crosby, the album was recorded in 1967 at Sunset Sound, and released in 1968 by Reprise Records.
Production
The album was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California during the later part of 1967.[3] David Crosby was assigned as producer as part of the deal with Reprise Records.[3] Crosby wanted Mitchell to sound pure and natural, so he asked her to sing into the studio grand piano, and set up extra microphones to capture her voice repeating off the strings; unfortunately the set up captured too much ambient noise, resulting in excessive tape hiss, which could only be removed post-production at the cost of the high sounds in the audio range, which gives the album a flat feel.[4]
Mitchell had written songs that were hits for other artists (e.g., "Both Sides Now" and "Chelsea Morning" by Judy Collins and Dave Van Ronk, "Eastern Rain" by Fairport Convention, "Urge for Going" and "The Circle Game" by Tom Rush), but none of those songs were recorded for her debut.
Release
This album was originally released as Joni Mitchell because the LP album covers were printed incorrectly, cutting off part of the "Song to a Seagull" title (spelled out by birds in flight).[citation needed] The cut-off, as well as the publishers at Reprise Records not noticing the birds spelled out the album name, caused the eponymous album title.[citation needed]
The two sides of the LP were labelled as Part 1 - "I Came to the City", and Part 2 - "Out of the City and Down to the Seaside".
Mitchell has said that "Sisotowbell" stands for "Somehow, in spite of trouble, ours will be ever lasting love".[5]
The album was dedicated to her Grade 7 English teacher, "Mr. Kratzmann, who taught me to love words".
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| MusicHound | [8] |
| Pitchfork Media | 6.7/10[7] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Martin C. Strong | 7/10[10] |
| Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Joni Mitchell.
| I Came to the City | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "I Had a King" | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Michael from Mountains" | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Night in the City" | 2:30 |
| 4. | "Marcie" | 4:35 |
| 5. | "Nathan La Franeer" | 3:18 |
| Out of the City and Down to the Seaside | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 6. | "Sisotowbell Lane" | 4:05 |
| 7. | "The Dawntreader" | 5:04 |
| 8. | "The Pirate of Penance" | 2:44 |
| 9. | "Song to a Seagull" | 3:51 |
| 10. | "Cactus Tree" | 4:35 |
Personnel
- Joni Mitchell - guitar, piano, vocals
- Stephen Stills - bass on "Night in the City"
- Lee Keefer - banshee
- David Crosby - producer
References
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- ↑ JoniMitchell.com/JMDL Library: Joni Mitchell - A Portrait of the Artist: Billboard, December 9, 1995
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